Hello All, I got my NPB 0.22 rifle license from Gujarat in October 2017. I had been given a period of 3 months within which to purchase the weapon and the license itself was expiring by Dec 2017 (ideally it should be for 3years, if I am correct)

With that in mind, one of my uncles who has a 0.22 Bruno and wants to gift it to me applied for sale permission for his weapon in November 2017. This application has been submitted to Arms Department in Mumbai Near Crawford Market.

After almost 4 months the permisson had not yet come and I paid a visit to the Arms Department. I enquired with the lady clerk if the permission had come for my uncle...she replied not yet and then I requested her to let me meet the officer in charge. When I entered his cabin he asked me my purpose of visit. I politely told him that I had come to follow up for the sale permission as my license was getting renewed and my officer in Gujarat was asking about purchase of weapon. I gently reminded the officer that almost 4 months have passed and whether there was something missing from our end due to which it was delayed. The minute I said delayed, he flared up and started screaming and shouting and told me that I will book you for threatening me and coercing me and all sorts of allegations! All the people in the office were also stunned as they had all heard me requesting politely and once outside the office they told me that I had not done anything wrong. Again, the officer called me in the room. this time he was alone and it was like a changed person. He spoke kindly to me and I again explained that I would lose my license if I didnt get the weapon during second extention. He told me that he would do it within 1 week and that I could check back again next weekend.

I went away satisfied and a bit confused over this behaviour. Now however almost 2 months later the officer has still not granted permission and I am again waiting endlessly. Meanwhile my license has got renewed and the officer in Gujarat is pestering me to buy a weapon urgently

I want to know if there is a time period within which the Police has to grant or not grant sale permission. Also is there any legal way I can take this forward.Please help as I feel helplessly stuck at the mercy of this officer.

Zoo wrote:Hello All, I got my NPB 0.22 rifle license from Gujarat in October 2017. I had been given a period of 3 months within which to purchase the weapon and the license itself was expiring by Dec 2017 (ideally it should be for 3years, if I am correct)

With that in mind, one of my uncles who has a 0.22 Bruno and wants to gift it to me applied for sale permission for his weapon in November 2017. This application has been submitted to Arms Department in Mumbai Near Crawford Market.

After almost 4 months the permisson had not yet come and I paid a visit to the Arms Department. I enquired with the lady clerk if the permission had come for my uncle...she replied not yet and then I requested her to let me meet the officer in charge. When I entered his cabin he asked me my purpose of visit. I politely told him that I had come to follow up for the sale permission as my license was getting renewed and my officer in Gujarat was asking about purchase of weapon. I gently reminded the officer that almost 4 months have passed and whether there was something missing from our end due to which it was delayed. The minute I said delayed, he flared up and started screaming and shouting and told me that I will book you for threatening me and coercing me and all sorts of allegations! All the people in the office were also stunned as they had all heard me requesting politely and once outside the office they told me that I had not done anything wrong. Again, the officer called me in the room. this time he was alone and it was like a changed person. He spoke kindly to me and I again explained that I would lose my license if I didnt get the weapon during second extention. He told me that he would do it within 1 week and that I could check back again next weekend.

I went away satisfied and a bit confused over this behaviour. Now however almost 2 months later the officer has still not granted permission and I am again waiting endlessly. Meanwhile my license has got renewed and the officer in Gujarat is pestering me to buy a weapon urgently

I want to know if there is a time period within which the Police has to grant or not grant sale permission. Also is there any legal way I can take this forward.Please help as I feel helplessly stuck at the mercy of this officer.

Thanks

You should have recorded him using some kind of hidden camera.People like those deserve to be seen on social network.

If your uncle intends surrendering his license after giving the fire arm away, I am sure they'll expedite the matter. But this point should be specifically mentioned in the sale application. The authorities encourage this practice as they feel this will lessen the number of fire arms owners in the city. Since they have no control over criminals hence the law abiding citizens....Jai Hind.Marksman

Hi...sorry for the late reply as I was travelling. Musale, that seems like a good idea to ask the clerk but from what I've heard is the concerned officer hasn't passed any application in the last 5-6 months. @ Marksman...he has a 12 bore registered on the same one so he's not surrendering it

Zoo wrote:Hi...sorry for the late reply as I was travelling. Musale, that seems like a good idea to ask the clerk but from what I've heard is the concerned officer hasn't passed any application in the last 5-6 months. @ Marksman...he has a 12 bore registered on the same one so he's not surrendering it

He can surrender the license of the particular weapon he intends giving away. The other fire arm can stay on the same book as each fire arm is regarded as an individual entry in the book.

Zoo wrote:With that in mind, one of my uncles who has a 0.22 Bruno and wants to gift it to me applied for sale permission for his weapon in November 2017. This application has been submitted to Arms Department in Mumbai Near Crawford Market.

After almost 4 months the permisson had not yet come and I paid a visit to the Arms Department. I enquired with the lady clerk if the permission had come for my uncle...she replied not yet and then I requested her to let me meet the officer in charge. When I entered his cabin he asked me my purpose of visit. I politely told him that I had come to follow up for the sale permission as my license was getting renewed and my officer in Gujarat was asking about purchase of weapon. I gently reminded the officer that almost 4 months have passed and whether there was something missing from our end due to which it was delayed. The minute I said delayed, he flared up and started screaming and shouting and told me that I will book you for threatening me and coercing me and all sorts of allegations!

What a pity, when people do not care to read the law and demand "permission" when none is required. Icing on the cake is when some suggest to video tape the matter or do this and that. Following is what Section 5(4) of Arms Act 1959 says -

4*[(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) a person may, without holding a licence in this behalf, sell or transfer any arms or ammunition which he lawfully possesses for his own private use to another person who is entitled by virtue of this Act or any other law for the time being in force to have, or is not prohibited by this Act or such other law from having in his possession such arms or ammunition:

Provided that no firearm or ammunition in respect of which a licence is required under section 3 and no arms in respect of which a licence is required under section 4 shall be so sold or transferred by any person unless-

(a) he has informed in writing the district magistrate having jurisdiction or the officer in charge of the nearest police station of his intention to sell or transfer such firearms, ammunition or other arms and the name and address of the person to whom he intends to sell or transfer such firearms, ammunition or the other arms, and

(b) a period of not less than forty-five days has expired after the giving of such information.]

Where is the need for permission after forty five days are over? How can any honest officer issue a written permission when none is required? Why a corrupt officer, who knows this, not indulge in tantrums of "anger" and veiled threats to extract bribes without verbally demanding them?